Pope Leo XIV has thanked Catholics on Wednesday for their prayers and support in his first public message since undergoing surgery for lung cancer, asking the faithful to continue praying for him as he recovers in hospital.
“I ask you to pray for me, as I pray for you,” the pope wrote in a message to participants at a symposium marking the 10th anniversary of Amoris laetitia, a document published by his predecessor, Pope Francis.
The Vatican announced on Tuesday that Leo had undergone a 90-minute operation in Rome to remove a cancerous growth from his lung.
Doctors removed the lower lobe of one lung after a nodule was detected at an early stage.
The pope, who is recovering at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, was reported to be making progress as expected, according to his medical team, Dr Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora.
He has been able to walk around his hospital room and eat meals, according to reports, although no date has been given for his discharge.
In his message, Leo also praised the participants in the symposium for their work and discussions on family life and the Catholic Church’s pastoral approach.
“The exchange of experiences and the attentive listening you demonstrate are truly a gift for the entire Church,” he said, thanking those who had taken part.
Leo had announced the planned operation during an address to the faithful in St Peter’s Square over the weekend, explaining that doctors had detected a lung nodule at an early stage.
The diagnosis has drawn attention to the health of the 70-year-old pontiff, who is not known to be a smoker.
His family has a history of cancer, with his older brother Louis Prevost reportedly undergoing treatment for the disease, while his parents also died of cancer in the 1990s.